Question is are Mercedes' supposed to be as athletic as Porsches? No, they're luxury cars first. Porsches are throughbred sports cars. I stilll doubt Porsche will make a 4-door sedan. I think they'll do a 2-door GT like the DB9 or 575M, but anything is possible.

now guys, whenever a car is based on a volkswagen platform its gonna be a hit as far as handling and such goes... but from the pictures ive seen of the panamera...its so frickin ugly that i would never buy it...i would much rather spend extra dough to buy a maserati quattroporte. Porsche enterd the sedan market too late in the game. Another plus side of the maser is that it has a legacy...wealthy people look for legacy dont get me wrong tho i love porsche.. i guarantee you ill buy that cayman one day and mayb a 911 turbo later on but over a 911 the aston v8 vantage looks better as far as sporty goes.

The maserati is beautiful in my opinion. I was looking for one...there are a couple of nice ones on ebay. But is it a daily driver ? Will it be a workhorse that one can use day in and day out...or is it going to be like a luxury Ferrari....that can take no more than 3000 miles per year...and then needs a major maintenance to the tune of $2000 + each time ? I hope not ....

Porsche vehicles have been known to be BOTH .... they can be luxurious and sporty....and everyday workhorses....

That is what sets these cars apart from the other ultra sporty sedans....I think they are kinda of like a Ferrari + Mercedes ....with the good parts of both....

As a huge Porsche fan I was surprised when I heard that they were going to make a four door car. I think the Panamera will be a great car and will be well respected compared to a Benz or BMW. I would buy a Panamera over any BMW, Benz, or Audi just because it most likely drives like nothing else. As far as looks go, the Panamera is nice, but it is not the very best.

I was just wondering how much this Panemara will cost relatively speaking. I'll be in the market for an M3 or anything equivalent or better for the money in about 2.5 years. In other words, I'm willing to cough up 60k but not more. Do you think someone like me will be able to touch a Panemara?

Well, I think the panamera will be using the Cayenne 4.5 liter engine...both the stock that puts out 335 hp ( or 350hp, depending on tuning) and the 450 hp ( 520 hp) . Maybe the 350 hp sedan, if they make it, will be under $ 80K ? If is were me, I would make a coupe that will go for a little over $50,000...so it would go up against the rest...but I doubt they would. They would try to go for the ultra exotic sedan performance category...ala Maserati quattroporte = $ 90,000 +

They are test driving the new Panamera today on Loveland Pass in Colorado - at least 5 of them! Nice, low but definitely a large sedan. All clad in cover-up material there is no mistaking the Porsche headlights, taillights and engine! Rear tires spun in the gravel as it pulled onto the road gave away the rear wheel drive. Nice car!

Resurect this one from the archives but there are 13 of them in Keystone Colorado and they are again testing on Loveland Pass. The guys wont say much other than they are going to Mt Evans today to do more testing. No camera with me so nothing to post but they are all clad with various things to minimize recognition. I did notice the quad exhaust on one so there should be a biturbo in the fleet. Engine sound was very nice.

In case people haven't read about it, topspeed revealed has a review on the convertible Porsche Panamera, featuring details about the car as well as a few photos and wallpapers.

"Though it has yet to be confirmed by company big-wigs, Automotive News has reported that Porsche is on its way to making a convertible version of the Porsche Panamera. Unlike the standard hard-top Panamera, the convertible version will come in a two-door variety, partly to increase the car&#146;s rigidity to compensate for the added weight that comes with the soon-to-be-added soft-top roof..."

This past week I had the opportunity to drive the new Panamera. My 911 was in for some routine maintenance, the service department had gotten backed up and the Service Manager did not want me just sitting around doing nothing. So he handed me the keys to one of the two Panameras that the dealership has. It was a heavily optioned base model. Their other version is the turbo with the ceramic brake pacake, wondow sticker is $155,000. The window sticker came to just over $118,000. Separate and apart from whether the car was worth $118,000 or whether anyone truly needs a $118,000 car, or even if the current market is ready for such a vehicle; it was a most impressive and remarkable test drive.

The car is fast, rock solid, and quiet . The PDK works perfectly, the large brakes bring it down from obscene speeds with no muss or fuss. Rearward visibility is somewhat compromised but I cannot remember the last car I drove where I could see all 4 corners. Fit and finish were impeccable, especially given it being an early build car. The thing had far too much technology for my tastes but even if you keep a tight rein on the option list you are not going to get one of these beasts out of the showroom for much under $115,000. Given my upper midwest location the 4S would be the way to go if it is going to be a 12 month car. I had been thinking, but not seriously, of trading in my '04 911 for an '09 or '10 911 with PDK. When it comes time for me to grow up (I'm only 65) I think the Panamera might have to make the short list of things to consider.

Anyone have any negotiated purchase or lease information on the panameras? Negotiated prices, money factors, any dealer incentives, etc. By 2nd quarter 2010, do you think additional incentives will be available for this vehicle?

I test drove a 4S version. Build quality seems to be excellent. Interior design and quality is well above anything at its price point. Fast yet comfortable and roomy.

I have ordered 4S last week. The list price with all the options is 107k, the dealer agreed to take 5% off. The car will be delivered in mid-April. It looks like it is not more expensive to order exactly what you want vs picking up among the cars that are already in stock. My dealer told me I would have the same discount in either case. So unless you need the car ASAP (or simply cannot wait), you can as well configure it to your perfect liking. In my case, none of the cars that were in stock had the set of options that I wanted to have.

The response to this car has been exceptional. They perform. However, if interested a buyer should consider the following. There is no spare tire and the car does not have run flat tires. An inflatable spare is available from Porsche parts. You have to determine how to tie it down and it will take up trunk space. I recently drove the 4S($122,000) and the Turbo ($155,000) which as optioned are expensive. Since I drive on trips alot not having designed the Panamera with a built in spare was a deal killer for me. I'm extending the lease on my E63 and will wait and see.